Sun screen



March 8, 1966 G. A. MAXWELL SUN S GREEN Filed March 22; 1962 INVEN TOR.6 Orges A- Xwe United States Patent 3,238,683 SUN SCREEN Georges A.Maxwell, Los Alamitos, Calif. (1208 Per- Shing Square Bldg., 448 S. HillSt., Los Angeles 13, Calif.)

Filed Mar. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 181,538 4 Ciaims. (ci. 52-473) Thisinvention relates to an improved sun screen construction and the methodof making the same.

Sun screens of the nature herein concerned with and as provided by theprior art are flat, vertically-disposed fabric, or fabric-like, sheetshaving a plurality of verticallyspaced, horizontally-disposed, atlouvers or slats, and a plurality of laterally spaced, verticallydisposed tie members or portions fixed to and extending between theslats and serving to hold the slats in fixed position. The slats orlouvers are canted, or inclined, so as to normally block and prevent thedirect rays of the sun from passing through the screen, yet are suchthat they do not block passage of other light from altitudes below orlesser than sun, or establish an objectionable hindrance yto ones visionthrough the screen.

The principal objectionable feature of such screens is the appearance ofthe verticals. In one form of sun screens now being produced, theverticals are established by a pair of wires engaged about the slats andtwisted with each other, between adjacent slats, as by a suitableweaving operation. The principal objection to this form of screenresides in the fact that the pairs of twisted vertical wires set upstresses throughout the sheet which cause twisting and warping of theslats. Further, the pairs of wires establishing the verticals stretch,or become elongated, and further increase the stresses set up throughthe screen when tensioned. Still further, in such a construction, asuitable enamel or varnish must be applied to the screen to hold theverticals and horizontals in fixed position, and as such are monochrome;that is, they are of one color. Still further, such screens areextremely costly to manufacture and are very delicate and fragile.

Another form of sun screen in wide use is established by a single sheetof aluminum, which sheet has a plurality of laterally spaced, verticalrows of horizontal louvers established therein by a suitable punchingoperation. In order to gain the desired end, the sheet of aluminum mustbe of extremely thin gauge. In order to provide such a screen withsuflicient strength to support the louvers and prevent verticalstretching and resulting distortion of the screen, the uninterruptedportions intermediate the rows of louvers, which portions are theequivalent of the verticals in the first-mentioned form of screen, mustbe extremely broad, and, as a result are unsightly and greatly reducethe effectiveness of such screens.

The last-mentioned form of screen, like the first, is very delicate andeasily damaged, due to the soft, malleable nature of the material fromwhich it is formed. Still further, this second form of screen is suchthat it cannot be painted or colored on one side without the paintrunning, or otherwise passing through the screen, thereby requiring thatthese screens, as the first-mentioned form of screen, be monochrome.

Each of the screens provided by the prior art, being formed of metal,absorb and conduct a great deal of heat energy from the sun whichimpinges upon them, thereby reducing their eectiveness as heat barriersand also creating many other adverse effects which materially affect andlimit their use.

An object of the present invention is to provide a sun screen of thegeneral character referred to, which is formed of plastic, therebyeliminating and/or reducing 3,238,683 Patented Mar. 8, 1966 ICC many ofthe disadvantages existing in similar screens formed of metal.

An object of this invention is to provide a plastic sun screen of thecharacter referred to including, laterally spaced, vertical, suspensionand/or tension wires, bonded to or in the plastic, thereby establishinga structure which is such that it can be advantageously tensionedvertically, and which is such that the verticals are of a minimumlateral exent and establish a minimum of visual obstruction.

Another object of this invention is to provide a plastic screen of thecharacter referred to, made up of a pair of thin, plastic sheets weldedor bonded together, and with the vertical wires arranged therebetween.

It is another object of this invention to provide a laminated plasticscreen of the character referred to where-in the sheets are of the sameor different colors, are transparent, translucent, opaque or aluminized,or any suitable combination thereof, whereby one of several heat andlight controlling effects can be advantageously obtained.

A further object of this invention is to establish a sun screen of thecharacter referred to made of a sheet or sheets of plastic lm which istough, durable, resilient and such that it will retain a set and willreturn to such set if shifted therefrom, thereby providing a screenwhich is not subject to being damaged and rendered ineffective when usedunder ordinary circumstances.

Another object of this invention is to provide a screen of the characterreferred to established of a sheet or sheets of non-thermoweldingplastic material with milled coatings of thermowelding plastic materialthereon.

Another object of my invention is to provide a structure `of thecharacter referred to wherein the vertical wires are jacketed with athermowelding plastic and are welded on or between the sheet or sheetsof coated plastic.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a screen of thecharacter referred to wherein the sheet or sheets of plastic aretransparent and the thermowelding plastic coating or coatings arestained a suitable color.

A further object of the present invention is to provide novel methodsfor producing the screens of the character referred to which are fast,dependable and economical.

The various objects and features of my invention will be fullyunderstood from the following detailed description of typical preferredforms and applications of my invention, throughout which descriptionreference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is an elevational view of a sheet of screen as provided by thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective View of a portion of the structureshown in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of one form of screen that Iprovide;

FIG. 4 is a perspective View of a portion of another form of screen thatI provide;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken as indicated by line 5-5 on FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken as indicated by line 6 6 on FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, perspective View of a portion of a sheet ofmaterial from which my new screen is established;

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic perspective View illustrating the method andapparatus employed in making the form of screen shown in FIG. 3 of thedrawings; and

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view showing the method and apparatus employedin making the form of screen shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings.

The sun screen construction A that I provide involves an elongate sheetof uniform, predetermined lateral extent and of indefinite longitudinalextent.

The screen A includes a plurality of laterally spaced rows R of straighthorizontal louvers L, a plurality of laterally spaced, verticallydisposed, longitudinal webs W between the adjacent rows of louvers L,and an elongate tension wire T extending longitudinally of and bonded toor in each web W.

The several louvers L of each row of louvers are canted or pitched atlike predetermined angles and each has a lower forward edge 1), an upperrear edge 11, a forwardly and upwardly disposed front surface 12 and arearwardly and downwardly disposed rear surface 13.

The louvers L and Webs W are established of one or more sheets ofplastic film and are from five to ten mills in thickness.

In practice the plastic material must be a tough, stable material whichis not subject to cold flowing, stretching or warping when subjected tomoderate temperature variations and forces, and which is such that itcan be advantageously formed and set into a desired configuration by theapplication of heat and/ or pressure.

Further, it is important that the material from which my screen is madebe not brittle, but sufficiently resilient that should the louvers L bebent or flattened from their set disposition, they will readily returnto said position without permanent damage to the construction. Stillfurther, it is important that the material be sufliciently exible andresilient that the screen can be rolled longitudinally, as for thepurpose of storing and shipping, without damage to the louvers and/rwebs.

A plastic lm having the above characteristics and from which applicantsscreen can be advantageously established is produced by Du Pont ChemicalCorporation and is marketed under the trade name Mylar. Mylar isavailable in any desired mill thickness, in any color, transparent,translucent, or opaque, and can advantageously be aluminized. WhileMylar is such that it cannot be welded together by heat or pressure, itis common practice to coat it, on one or both surfaces, with a suitablecompatible plastic material, such as polyethylene, which has good heator thermowelding characteristics. In this manner, a plastic film havingthe several advantages of Mylar and the desirable thermoweldingcharacteristics of polyethylene is obtained.

The polyethylene coating referred to above is extremely thin and isapplied to the Mylar by a suitable milling operation.

Accordingly, a feature of the present invention is to establish a novelscreen construction of Mylar film having a milled polyethylene coatingon one or both surfaces thereof.

While Mylar film, and more particularly polyethylene coated Mylar filmis specifically referred to, applicant does not wish to be limited tothis particular material, since it is recognized that certain otherexisting plastic materials, such as nylon, might be established with thecharacteristics required in applicants construction, or a new materialhaving such characteristics may be developed which would, itself, bethermowelding.

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 3, 5 and 8 of thedrawings, the screen A is established of a single sheet of plastic 15.The sheet is preferably Mylar, and is provided with a milled coating 16of polyethylene. The wire T is provided with a polyethylene jacket 17 tofacilitate welding the wire into fixed position on or with the sheet.

The screen A is fabricated by passing the sheet 15 and the wires Tbetween a pair of heated calendar rollers 20 and 21. The roller 20 is afemale roller having a plurality of laterally-spaced annular rows ofaxially extending recesses 22 shaped to the form of the forward halvesof the louvers and annular grooves 23 between the rows of recessesadapted to receive and guide the jacketed wires T and shaped to the formof the web W. The roller 21 is a male roller, having a plurality oflaterally-spaced annular rows of axially extending projections 24 andannular ribs 25 shaped to the form of the rear side of the screen andadapted to cooperate with the recesses and grooves in the female roller2t) to forni the vsheet 15 and weld the wires T thereto.

The sheet 15 is fed between the rollers 20 and 21 from a supply roll 26spaced forwardly of the rollers 20 and 21. The wires T are fed onto thesheet 15 and between the rollers 2t) and 21 from spools 27 of wirerotatably supported forward of the rolls 26. The finished screen Aissuing from the rollers 20 and 21 is engaged about a roller 28 spacedrearwardly of the rollers 2G and 21.

In practice, it is preferred that the sheet 15 be an opaque black sheetand that the front surface 12 thereof be iluminized, that is, providedwith a deposit of highly reiiective aluminum. With such a construction,the front surface 12, which opposes the direct rays of the sun, reiiectsand bounces back the greater portion of the solar light and heat energyirnpinging upon it, particularly the ultraviolet rays which otherwiseact upon the plastic and cause rapid deterioration thereof. Further, byestablishing the sheet of opaque black plastic the portion of theultraviolet rays which might iilter through the aluminized surface andwhich bounce into direct engagement with the plastic, will not passthrough the plastic and thereby will not cause deterioration thereof.

In another form of the invention, the plastic is clear or transparent,can be stained .any desired color, and, as above, the front surface 12is provided with a very light or sparse aluminized coating, whichcoating is such that it will effectively reect a desired portion of thesolar rays impinging upon the screen and will allow the remainder topass through the screen. With this set-up, the effect is to reduce,soften, and color the direct solar light passing through the screen, asdesired.

Yet another form of the invention is to establish the screen of a sheetof tinted, transparent or translucent plastic, without the aluminizedcoating. In the case of each of the two last-mentioned forms orvariations of the invention, the screen can be advantageously used inany one of a number of situations where a pane of glass is arrangedbetween the screen and the sun since ordinary glass is an effectivefilter of the ultraviolet rays which would otherwise have damagingeffects on the clear plastic.

FIG. 7 of the drawings is an enlarged view of a portion of the sheet 15of plastic, showing the milled polyethylene coating` 16 on one surfacethereof and indicating the aluminized coating, at 26, on the othersurface thereof.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 4, 6 and 9 of the drawings,the screen A is established of two sheets of plastic 15' suitably weldedor bonded together with the wires T' engaged therebetween.

The screen A' is established in substantially the same manner as thescreen A. The apparatus employed includes a pair of forming rollers 20"and 21', a lower supply roll 26' of plastic film, wire supply spools27', and a receiving roller 28' about which the finished product iswound. The foregoing elements or means are arranged and operated in thesame manner as the apparatus employed in establishing the screen A. Inaddition, the apparatus for establishing the screen A' is provided witha second, upper supply roll 26" above the roll 26 and above the wires T'leading or advancing between the rolls 20 and 21'.

With the above relationship of parts, it will be apparent that the twosheets 15' are fed uniformly between the rollers 2G' and 21 and that thewires T are fed into engagement therebetween.

In the form of the invention now under consideration, if Mylar plasticis used, the opposing surfaces 3i) of the sheet must be provided withmilled coatings of polyethylene.

If desired, instead of providing polyethylene coatings on the two sheets15', a suitable cement or bonding plastic in liquid form can be appliedto the upwardly-disposed surface of the lowermost sheet 15', as by asuitable cement roller or spray gun type of apparatus, which cement willset and cure when subjected to the heat and/or pressure of the rollers20' and 21', thereby bonding the sheets together with the wires Ttherebetween.

The wires T', being engaged between the sheets 15', need not be jacketedas in the case of the `wires T.

In this second form of the invention, if a Suitable ther- -rnobondingplastic is used, the need of polyethylene coatings, cements, or thelike, is eliminated, since the two sheets could be bonded together toestablish an integral mass about the wires T and in the desiredconfiguration.

In this form of the invention, the two sheets 15' can be of differentcolors, opaque or translucent, and one can be provided with analuminized surface coating, as circumstances require, to give thedesired end result and/ or effect.

In practice, and as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, the louvers L canbe formed with ends that are substantially at right angles to theirmajor planes, so that a gradual reduction of the space between adjacentlouvers does not occur vat each end of the said spaces, and so that thelateral extent of the Web W, and its resulting 0bstruction to light andvision, is maintained at a minimum.

In FIG. 4 of the drawings, the louvers L' are canted or pitched from theplane of the screen by a twisting of the end portions of the louvers,adjacent the webs W'. This results in a convergence between adjacent topand bottom edges 11 and 10 of adjacent louvers, at the ends thereof anda resulting restriction of both light and vision.

The configurations shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 indicate two extremes inlouver configuration. The form of louver shown in FIG. 4 can be easilyand conveniently established of any plastic film, while the form oflouver shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings can only be established of aplastic film which will readily stretch and flow a required amount whensubjected to the heat and/or pressures of the forming rollers withoutadverse effects.

Having described only typical preferred forms and applications ofapparatus and typical manners of carrying out the method of myinvention, I do not wish to be limited to the specific details hereinset forth, but wish to reserve to myself any variations andmodifications that may appear to those skilled in the art and fallwithin the scope of the following claims.

Having described any invention, I claim:

1. A flat, planar, vertically disposed sun screen of the characterreferred to having front and rear surfaces and including, a plurality oflaterally spaced vertical rows of flat, horizontally extending louversof flexible and stretchable plastic material, Ian elongate, verticallyextending, rearwardly opening semi-circular web of flexible andstretchable plastic material formed integral with and extending betweenthe ends of adjacent louvers and between adjacent rows of louvers and,an elongate round, flexible and substantially non-stretchable tensionwire seated and bonded in each web to extend longitudinally thereof,said webs establishing uniform, uninterrupted seated engagement aboutthe forward half of the wires throughout their longitudinal extent.

2. A fiat, planar, vertically disposed, fabricated sun screen of thecharacter referred to having front and rear surfaces and including, aplurality of laterally spaced vertical rows of flat horizontallyextending louvers of flexible and stretchable plastic, an elongatevertically extendinU rearwardly opening semi-circular web of flexibleand stretchable plastic formed integral with and extending between theends of adjacent louvers and between rows of louvers and an elongate,round, flexible and substantially non-stretchable tension wire seatedand bonded in and extending longitudinally of each web, said louvershaving forwardly and upwardly disposed front surfaces and rearwardly anddownwardly disposed rear surfaces and arranged with their centrallongitudinal axes normal to and intersecting the central axes of thewires, said webs establishing uniform uninterrupted seated engagementabout the forward of said wires, throughout their longitudinal extent.

3. A flat, planar, vertically disposed, fabricated sun screen of thecharacter referred to having front and rear surfaces and including, aplurality of laterally spaced vertical rows of flat, horizontallyextending and forwardly and downwardly inclined louvers, elongate,vertically extending tubular webs formed integrally with and extendingbetween the ends of -adjacent louvers and between adjacent rows oflouvers, the central longitudinal axes of the webs being normal to andintersecting the central longitudinal axes of the louvers, an elongate,flexible and substantially non-stretchable tension wire engaged in andextending longitudinally through each web, said louvers and webs beingestablished of flat front and rear films of flexible and stretchableplastic material bonded to each other and with said wires to establishan integral structure.

4. A flat, planar, vertically disposed sun screen of the characterreferred to having front and rear surfaces and including, a plurality oflaterally spaced vertical rows of flat, horizontally extending,forwardly and downwardly inclined louvers, elongate, verticallyextending webs formed integrally with and extending between the ends ofadjacent louvers and between adjacent rows of louvers, said louvers andwebs being integrally formed of flexible and stretchable plastic filmmaterial, elongate, rounded, flexible and substantially non-stretchabletension wires bonded to and extending longitudinally of the webs, saidwebs being formed about and establishing uninterrupted seated engagementabout at least 180 of the tension wires throughout their longitudinalextent, said louvers being arranged with their central longitudinal axesnormal to and intersecting the central longitudinal axes of the wires.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,071,921 2/ 1937Dickinson.

2,415,023 1/ 1947 Novotny 156-179 2,484,769 10/ 1949 Wolters 189-63 X2,547,632 4/ 1951 Ewing et al.

2,575,666 11/1951 Knudson 161-89 2,714,816 8/ 1955 Pennell 20-63 X2,742,391 4/1956 Warp 161--115 X 2,767,113 10/1956 Bower 161-1372,819,499 l/ 1958 Abramson et al. 20-63 2,882,563 4/ 1959 McCormick20-63 2,893,466 7/1959 Fink 156-179 FOREIGN PATENTS 128,902 1/ 1946Australia.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH D. BEIN, Examiner.

4. A FLAT, PLANAR, VERTICALLY DISPOSED SUN SCREEN OF THE CHARACTERREFERRED TO HAVING FRONT AND REAR SURFACES AND INCLUDING, A PLURALITY OFLATERALLY SPACED VERTICAL ROWS OF FLAT, HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING,FORWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY INCLINED LOUVERS, ELONGATE, VERTICAL EXTENDINGWEBS FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH AND EXTENDING BETWEEN THE ENDS OF ADJACENTLOUVERS AND BETWEEN ADJACENT ROWS OF LOUVERS, SAID LOUVERS AND WEBSBEING INTEGRALLY FORMED OF FLEXIBLE AND STRETCHABLE PLASTIC FILMMATERIAL, ELONGATE, ROUNDED, FLEXIBLE AND SUBSTANTIALLY NON-STRETCHABLETENSION WIRES BONDED TO AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE WEBS, SAIDWEBS BEING FORMED ABOUT AND ESTABLISHING UNINTERRUPTED SEATED ENGAGEMENTABOUT AT LEAST 180* OF THE TENSION WIRES THROUGHOUT THEIR LONGITUDINALEXTEND, SAID LOUVERS BEING ARRANGED WITH THEIR CENTRAL LONGITUDINAL AXESNORMAL TO AND INTERSECTING THE CENTRAL LONGITUDINAL AXES OF THE WIRES.